12:05 Leopardstown

Sunday 27 December 2020

All12:0512:3513:1013:4514:2014:5515:30

Paddy Power 'Only 4 More Days Until 2021' 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:05 | Winning time: 4m 11.8s

Ahaziah²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: Mrs D Foster

125/1

Modest maiden on the Flat. Fourth of 9 in juvenile (40/1) at Cork (16f, heavy) on NH debut 21 days ago. Plenty more needed.

Form: 94

Charlie Bassett¹⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade

16/1

Fairly useful maiden on the Flat. Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. 5/1, fourth of 14 in juvenile at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) 15 days ago, unsuited by emphasis on stamina. Yard in good form.

Form: B4

Coltor⁸⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Jack Kennedy| T: D K Weld

6/1

Fairly useful on Flat. winning maiden (11/4) at Killarney (11.2f, soft) in October. Interesting newcomer.

Form:

Complete Fiction^t²³

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Simon Torrens⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss S J Harty

100/1

Modest maiden on Flat. Likely outsider now hurdling.

Form:

Dark Voyager⁴³

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| BF

5/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Second on hurdle debut in October. Only fourth of 8 at Punchestown since but still early days in this sphere and remains open to progress.

Form: 24

Firstman¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: P J Carberry| T: A J Martin

100/1

Fair Flat winner. Tongue strap on first time, sixth of 14 in handicap (33/1) at Dundalk (12f) 11 days ago, merely passing beaten rivals. Makes hurdle debut.

Form:

Flying Scotsman^t1²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Mark Walsh| T: J P O'Brien

11/2

Useful Flat winner. Stepped up on hurdle debut when third of 9 in juvenile at Cork (16f, heavy, 3/1) 21 days ago, not knocked about. Tongue strap added. More to come and leading claims.

Form: 53

French Aseel¹⁶⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: D F O'Regan| T: Miss Ellmarie Holden

7/2

Fairly useful Flat winner in France. Worth monitoring in the betting now hurdling.

Form:

French Asset²⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: J M Moore| T: G P Cromwell

150/1

Fairly useful maiden on the Flat but well held both starts in juvenile hurdles for this yard.

Form: 80

Hisnameis Mrdevitt⁷⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: K C Sexton| T: Peter Fahey

80/1

Fair Flat winner. 22/1, ninth of 11 in handicap at the Curragh (8f, soft) 77 days ago. First run for yard after leaving J. J. Feane. Hurdle debut.

Form:

Iberia^t1¹⁵⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: J J Slevin| T: J Halley

20/1

Useful Flat winner for Aidan O'Brien. Interesting contender now hurdling in a tongue strap, particularly if the market vibes are strong.

Form:

Ilmig¹⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: P D Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington| BF

9/2

Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. Fairly useful winner at 14f on flat. Fifth of 14 in juvenile hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy, 8/13) 15 days ago, finding little.

Form: 25

Loved Out³³

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: D J Mullins| T: T Mullins| BF

14/1

Fair maiden on the Flat. Second of 8 in juvenile at Punchestown (16.7f, heavy, 5/4) on hurdle debut 33 days ago.

Form: 2

Royal Marksman^h1⁴¹

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: C D Timmons⁽³⁾| T: Thomas Coyle

150/1

Modest maiden on the Flat, making GB/IRE jumps debut. 25/1 and eyeshields on for 1st time, ninth of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (7f) 41 days ago. Hooded for 1st time.

Form:

Trebizond

Age: 3| Weight: 11-2| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

5/1

£34,000 3-y-o, Golden Horn gelding. Closely related to a winner, and half-brother to 4 winners, including fair 19f hurdle winner Burns Night. Dam 1m winner. From leading yard so needs a betting check.

Form:

Next In Line³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 10-9| J: B J Cooper| T: J M Barrett

28/1

Fairly useful Flat winner, making GB/IRE jumps debut. 20/1, second of 9 in handicap at Dundalk (10.7f) 34 days ago, no match for winner.

Form:

Poetica²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-9| J: G Bourke⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Hanlon

200/1

Modest maiden on the Flat. First run since leaving Mark Johnston when 66/1, unseated rider in juvenile hurdle at Cork (16f, heavy) on NH debut 21 days ago.

Form: U

Pushover⁵³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-9| J: J S McGarvey| T: N C Kelly

200/1

Making jumps debut. 100/1, last of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (10.7f) 53 days ago.

Form:

Non-Runners

Dashing Diamond¹

Weight: 10-9| Age: 3

T: M Hassett J: Reserve 1

Laralei¹⁵

Weight: 10-9| Age: 3

T: N C Kelly J: Reserve 2

Duck And Vanish⁸⁶

Weight: 11-2| Age: 3

T: D Hogan J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

French Aseel (7/2), Ilmig (9/2), Trebizond (5/1), Dark Voyager (5/1), Flying Scotsman (11/2), Coltor (6/1), Loved Out (14/1), Charlie Bassett (16/1), Iberia (20/1), Dashing Diamond (20/1), Duck And Vanish (20/1), Next In Line (28/1), Hisnameis Mrdevitt (80/1), Complete Fiction (100/1), Firstman (100/1), Ahaziah (125/1), Royal Marksman (150/1), French Asset (150/1), Laralei (150/1), Pushover (200/1), Poetica (200/1)

FLYING SCOTSMAN caught the eye when third at Cork last time and is taken to improve again and provide Joseph O'Brien with a second winner in this race in the last 3 years. Dark Voyager was a shade disappointing last time but remains with potential for his top stable. Ilmig is another who can figure if a lesser run last time is forgiven, while Coltor and Iberia are newcomers to note in the betting.